Workforce Technical Lead, USAID/Ukraine, New Workforce Development Activity

About Palladium:

Palladium is a global company working to design, develop and deliver positive impact on the lives and livelihoods of people around the globe; broaden access to health, water, power, and infrastructure; build enduring, sustainable, and transformative institutions and market systems to address global challenges; and conserve the natural world. We operate in over 90 countries and have a workforce of 4,000 talented, motivated, and diverse staff of all religions, races, languages, and gender identities.  

This Proposal Opportunity:

This new activity will serve as USAID/Ukraine’s flagship workforce project from 2024 to 2029. The new activity will support the upskilling and retraining of Ukraine’s labor force to adapt to the demographic and workforce shocks caused by war.  The activity will help adapt employers and employees to structural changes in the labor market. This is a 5-year project.

The Workforce Technical Lead will provide significant technical leadership and contributions for design and implementation of efficient, effective, impactful, sustainable workforce development initiatives within the activity. Their primary responsibilities are to provide overall technical leadership, management, and direction of the workforce initiatives. The Technical Lead will ensure the activity remains on schedule with the approved workplan and meets activity milestones and deliverables.  They will liaise with key stakeholders. The position reports to the Chief of Party or Deputy Chief of Party and is a member of the activity’s senior leadership team.

*This is an anticipated project, and all positions are contingent upon award from USAID. *  

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

Provide technical guidance and support for project activities;
Develop an effective integrated approach of program components, partners, employers, employees, education and training institutions, and other stakeholders;
Design, develop, and oversee implementation of initiatives to upskill and retrain Ukraine’s labor force to adapt to the demographic and workforce shocks caused by war, and help employers and employees to adapt to structural changes in the labor market;
Ensure initiatives reflect high technical quality and global best practices, while being tailored to local needs;
Direct and coordinate technical team to ensure that activity goals and objectives are met;
Ensure the sustainability of activity initiatives;
Ensure strong collaboration with business needs, government institutions, vocational and education institutions, learner and employee needs, and donor activities; and
Lead the development and review of activity work plans and reports.

Key Competencies Required:

Bachelor’s degree in economics, business administration, international development, education, or related field;
Demonstrated experience advising large, dynamic, and complex projects with a focus on education and skilling; workforce development; and/or supporting employers and employees to adapt to structural changes in the labor market;
Demonstrated understanding of the workforce development systems in Ukraine, including deep understanding of the demographic and workforce shocks caused by war;
Demonstrated understanding of the needs of employers and employees (including women, veterans, displaced persons, persons with disabilities, and other target populations) in the Ukrainian labor market;
Experience implementing relevant workforce programs in Ukraine;
Demonstrated commitment to working with and through local stakeholders to ensure sustainability;
Strong leadership and communication skills;
Demonstrated ability to be flexible and respond to emerging opportunities and overcome barriers;
Attention to detail and ability to effectively and efficiently perform multiple tasks and balance competing priorities often within a required timeframe;
Microsoft office suite proficiency and the ability to operate spreadsheet and word-processing programs at a highly proficient level; and
Excellent oral and written communication skills in Ukrainian and English.

Professional Expertise/Competencies Preferred:

Relevant master’s degree; and
Ukrainian Nationals are encouraged to apply.

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion - Palladium is committed to embedding equity, diversity, and inclusion into everything we do. We welcome applications from all sections of society and actively encourage diversity to drive innovation, creativity, success and good practice. We positively welcome and seek to ensure we achieve diversity in our workforce; and that all job applicants and employees receive equal and fair treatment regardless of their background or personal characteristics. These include: (but are not limited to) socio-economic background, age, race, gender identity and expression, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, nationality, veteran, marital or Indigenous status.  

Should you require any adjustments or accommodation to be made due to a disability or you are a neurodivergent individual or for any other circumstance, please email our team at accessibility@thepalladiumgroup.com and we will be in touch to discuss. 

Safeguarding - We define Safeguarding as “the preventative action taken by Palladium to protect our people, clients and the communities we work with from harm”. We are committed to ensuring that all children and adults who come into contact with Palladium are treated with respect and are free from abuse.  All successful candidates will be subject to an enhanced selection process including safeguarding-focused interviews and a rigorous due diligence process.